Limelight
What is a Pointer Trail?
A pointer trail is a fading streak drawn behind a moving cursor, making rapid pointer motion easier for viewers to track.
A pointer trail is a series of echo images or a fading line that follows the cursor as it moves, then disappears once motion stops. Originally a Windows accessibility option to help locate a fast-moving pointer on low-persistence displays, it is now also used in demos to make pointer movement obvious to an audience.
A pointer trail differs from a click animation, which marks the moment of a button press, and from a cursor spotlight, which surrounds the pointer with steady emphasis whether it moves or not. A trail specifically visualizes the path of motion and fades as the cursor settles.
In presenting and screen recording, a pointer trail helps viewers keep their eyes on a roaming cursor. It is a motion-visualization feature. Limelight's approach on macOS is the cursor spotlight, which keeps a bright, steady emphasis around the pointer rather than leaving a fading streak, alongside keystroke display, drawing, region spotlight, and on-screen text. Limelight does not render motion trails and does not record the screen.
Why Limelight
- ▸Leaves a fading streak or echo behind a moving cursor
- ▸Originated as a Windows accessibility aid for finding the pointer
- ▸Visualizes the path of motion, not the moment of a click
- ▸Different from a steady cursor spotlight that does not fade
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FAQ
- Is a pointer trail the same as a cursor spotlight?
- No. A trail shows where the cursor has just been and fades out, while a spotlight keeps constant emphasis around the pointer regardless of movement.
- Does Limelight draw a pointer trail?
- No. Limelight emphasizes the cursor with a steady spotlight rather than a fading trail, and it records nothing.